


Naughty & Nice

by alexis (of_too_minds)



Series: Seasonal Shenanigans [2]
Category: Dark Angel
Genre: Costumes, Gen, Humor, Presents, Snowball Fight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-07
Updated: 2014-02-07
Packaged: 2018-01-11 13:21:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1173544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/of_too_minds/pseuds/alexis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Terminal City throws a Christmas party. Sequel to "Tricks & Treats".</p>
            </blockquote>





	Naughty & Nice

Whoever coined the phrase “White Christmas” had obviously never been to Seattle in December. It was anything but a winter wonderland. There were no fluffy white flakes falling from a brilliant winter sky, no picture-perfect snowdrifts, and the only holly in sight was the plastic kind. Seattle was dull, dreary, and damp as yet another fog blew in off the ocean.

 

Alec grimaced and hurried into Jam Pony, grateful for the chance to be in out of the wind and the rain. He’d spent all morning hauling his ass across the city and back delivering granny’s stale fruitcake and great-auntie’s hand knit scarves to people who’d suddenly forgotten how to tip. He ran his fingers through his damp hair and sighed as a few cold drops trickled down his neck and under his collar. ‘ _Where’s the roaring Yule-log fire and mugs of good cheer when you need it?_ ’

 

At least he’d sweet-talked Normal into closing shop early. It was Christmas Eve after all, and most of the messengers still had Christmas shopping to do. Well, the guys did at least. The girls had probably been done for weeks, just to be annoying.

 

Sketchy, Sky, and Druid were huddled by the half-open door, smoking some Christmas cheer. The jingle bells on the end of Sketchy’s floppy, red and green elf’s hat jangled merrily as Sketch shook his head. “But dude,” he said, waving his arms in the air for emphasis, “he saves Christmas! Like, all by himself.”

 

Sky shrugged lazily. “I dunno man. He, like, totally tried to ruin it in the first place, you know? That’s cold.”

 

Sketchy’s eyes lit up when he spotted Alec walk by. “Alec, my man! You gotta settle this. Who’s the bomb, Rudolf or the Grinch?”

 

Alec grinned, amused by the serious look on Sketch’s face. His friend was a lovable moron and, after all, Christmas is for kids. Or in this case, the child-like. He held out his hands as if weighing two invisible objects. “Let’s see, Bambi with a light bulb for a nose…or a total badass who rips off an entire town in one night.” Alec winked. An aerobatic, ruminant quadruped just couldn’t compare to grand larceny.

 

Sketchy nodded, a big goofy grin on his face. “Yeah. Plus you gotta love the way his heart grows like THREE sizes and breaks that little metal box thingy.”

 

“Ye-ah,” Alec said. He’d usually stopped watching by that point. He slapped Sketchy on the shoulder, bumped fists with Sky and Druid, and left them debating whether Frosty could take Santa in a fight.

 

Alec stopped in surprise before he got halfway to his locker. There was a large pine tree standing next to Normal’s desk that hadn’t been there that morning. Normal was in the process of decorating it. Or at least, Alec guessed he was given the half-empty boxes of decorations that littered the floor. At the moment Normal wasn’t doing much more than stare at it. His head was cocked to one side and he was chewing pensively on his lower lip.

 

“Eureka!” he cried. He sprang towards the tree, making the silver garland he’d wrapped around his neck like a boa flutter and flap. With surgical precision he moved a gaudy glass ornament from one branch to another half an inch to the left, and then stepped back to survey his masterpiece. He sighed in satisfaction and glanced down at the boxes at his feet. “Which one of you lovelies will be next, hmm?” he said, rubbing his hands together like Scrooge gloating over his gold.

 

‘ _And once again Normal demonstrates the meaning of anal retentive._ ’ Alec shook his head and edged around a box, hoping to slip past Normalwithout being noticed.

 

No such luck. Normal glanced up and beamed at Alec. “There’s my golden boy! Back from your run already?” A worried look crossed his face. “You didn’t catch a chill out in that nasty rain, did you?” he asked anxiously, his eyes running up and down Alec’s body as if he could actually spot any infectious agents.

 

Alec shuddered at the thought of Normal with x-ray vision. “Nah, I’m good.” Alec hastened to reassure Normal before he could offer to be his personal nurse.

 

“Good, good. You can’t be too careful with your health. We wouldn’t want anything to spoil your eventual return to the ring.” He threw a punch at Alec’s chest.

 

Alec recoiled in mock terror from the blow and suppressed a sigh. No matter how many times he reminded Normal he was retired from the cage, Normal just refused to give up hope that one day he’d see his hero half-naked and sweaty again.

 

“So, what do you think of my tree?” Normal asked eagerly.

 

“It’s, um, spectacular.” Actually, it looked like a half-decorated Christmas tree, and what ornaments were up looked like they’d seen better days. But that’s what charm is for. Because as scary as it was being Normal’s golden boy, he certainly didn’t want to be bipped at like Max.

 

Normal basked in Alec’s praise. “Each one of these ornaments is a genuine, hand-crafted antique,” he said proudly. He stooped and gently picked up a cracked wooden Nutcracker out of a box. “You see this? This was lovingly carved, by hand, by an Amish woodcarver in the 19th century using tools brought over from Bavaria. The wood was stained using dye made from indigenous berries.”

 

Normal held it out to Alec as if he were presenting the crown jewels to the queen. Although Alec tried to refuse to take it, Normal pressed it into his unwilling hands anyway. “Go on, you can touch it. I trust you. Unlike the rest of the morons around here, you appreciate the finer things in life.”

 

Alec dutifully examined the thing. Honestly, there were some days when humouring Normal required almost as much effort as actually working. “Yep, it’s an antique,” he said with as much enthusiasm as he could muster, which wasn’t a lot. As far as Alec was concerned, antique was just another word for 'smelly old junk' and 'waste of money'. The only good thing about antiques was the amount of money they fetched on the black market.

 

Alec reached out to deposit it on the nearest branch. Normal jumped to intercept, both hands outstretched and a pained expression on his face. “No no no no, that can’t go there,” he exclaimed. “The colour composition is all wrong. It needs to hang next to a red light, not a green one, to get the full effect.”

 

“Uh huh. Why don’t I just leave it in your capable hands then?” Alec slapped Normal on the shoulder and backed away slowly. Normal nodded distractedly, too absorbed in the effort to find the perfect spot for his little wooden man to notice the look on Alec’s face.

 

Alec sidled up to Max at their lockers. “Is it just me or is Normal getting weirder?”

 

Max rolled her eyes. “Him and that damn tree. Honestly, could he get any more anal?” She grinned up at Alec, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “You know what really gets his shorts in a knot? Rearranging those stupid ornaments. He totally freaks.”

 

Alec plastered a shocked look on his face. “Max! I can’t believe you’d torment poor Normal like that.”

 

“Yeah, like you wouldn’t help me do it,” she said defensively.

 

“Who, me?” He gave her his best wide-eyed and innocent look. “Never. Remember, Santa knows who’s been naughty and who’s been nice. If you’re not careful missy, all you’re gonna find under the tree tomorrow is a lump of coal.” He wagged his finger at her.

 

Max snorted and rolled her eyes. “After basic training, I’m pretty sure our names have been permanently inscribed on Santa’s naughty list. Might as well enjoy it.”

 

Alec laughed, his eyes twinkling. “You are a bad, bad girl. Someone ought to spank you.”

 

A mental image flashed into Max’s mind of herself lying across Alec’s lap, his hand poised to paddle her bare bottom. Alec smirked as if he knew exactly what thoughts were running through her brain. Max blushed in embarrassment and balled her hands into fists. “Try it and I’ll break your fingers, pretty boy,” she promised.

 

Alec’s cocky grin got bigger. He leaned in close. His warm breath tickled her cheek and made her heart race. “You say that now…” he whispered. He winked suggestively, his smile offering a thousand delights, and then he tossed his bag in his locker and sauntered off.

 

Max growled in annoyance. She refused to figure out whether she was annoyed by her reaction or the fact that he just walked away. She slammed her locker shut and hurried after Alec, determined to retaliate even if it was only in a small, childish way. As she passed him she stuck her foot out and shoved him hard towards Normal.

 

Caught by surprise, Alec tripped over her foot and stumbled. With a cry of alarm, Normal darted forward. Alec flung out his hands to break his fall, but instead of hitting the hard floor, his face collided with Normal’s chest.

 

Normal hugged his golden boy tight, almost smothering Alec in the process. “Merry Christmas! Merry, merry Christmas!” There was an ecstatic, almost religious look on Normal’s face.

 

Alec struggled to straighten himself without actually touching Normal with his hands, afraid that would only encourage further bodily contact.“Ummff!”

 

Reluctantly Normal released Alec. He immediately backed out of reach. “Nothing to see here,” he called to the other messengers. They were all staring in slack-jawed amazement at the sight of Jam Pony’s own Don Juan in Normal’s embrace.

 

Max giggled hysterically and raced for the door. She burst outside just as Logan and Asha pulled up in his Aztec. Poor ol’ Betsy still bore the remnants of her Halloween makeover. Logan tooted the horn, as if Max hadn’t already seen him coming. Asha waved and smiled perkily. Max raised her hand in a half-hearted greeting and then turned her attention back to the door.

 

Alec stalked out of Jam Pony, a dangerous glint in his eye. “You are so gonna pay for that.”

 

She grinned at him cheekily and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Hey, it’s not my fault you tripped over your own feet.”

 

“I did not!” he said indignantly. “You pushed me!”

 

“As if. You tripped.”

 

“I was PUSHED,” he insisted.

 

“You TRIPPED,” she retorted.

 

“PUSHED!”

 

“TRIPPED!”

 

Alec lunged at her. Max shrieked and darted past his outstretched hand. She raced around the front of Logan’s Aztec, laughing like a mad thing. Alec grinned and ran the other way, around the back end.

 

Logan had just hopped out of the car and shut the door when he saw Max running full tilt straight toward him. She was looking back over her shoulder as she ran, and had no idea Logan was even there. “Eeep!” he squealed in fright.

 

Max whipped her head around. The terrified look on Logan’s face reminded Max of those old silent films where the heroine gets tied to the railway tracks and screams for her love to rescue her from the onrushing train. Or maybe it was just Logan’s girlish scream that made her think of a damsel in distress.

 

Max dug her heels into the pavement and skidded to a stop just short of where Logan stood. Logan jumped awkwardly to one side. Unfortunately, he jumped directly into Alec’s path, causing the transgenic to barrel into him from behind. Logan bounced off Alec’s chest, the force of the impact knocking him off his feet. Alec, Max, and Asha watched in stunned fascination as Logan hovered in the air, his arms pinwheeling madly, and then fell face first on the pavement.

 

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your point of view, Logan’s fall was cushioned by a large puddle of muddy water.

 

“ALEC!” Max planted her hands on her hips and glared at him. “That wasn’t nice!”

 

“Un un,” Alec said, shaking his head, “you are NOT pinning this on me. Logan bumped into ME trying to get out of YOUR way, Ms. bull-in-a-china-shop!”

 

“Oh, so I was chasing myself around the car, was I?”

 

“You deserved it for pushing me into Normal!”

 

“But you two make such a cute couple,” she teased.

 

“Ew, don’t say that!” Alec shuddered and glanced around to make sure Normal hadn’t overheard. The last thing he needed was for Normal to get his hopes up. He cringed at the mental image of Normal at his door with a dozen roses and a bottle of wine, and wearing that ridiculous gold chain he’d had on at Mia’s club fight.

 

“Logan!” squealed Asha as she flung herself down on the pavement by his side.

 

Max and Alec looked down guiltily. They’d both forgotten about the hacker sprawled at their feet. Asha draped his arm over her shoulder and hauled him upright.

 

Logan looked like a reject from an amateur, geriatric, mud-wrestling competition. His clothes were splotched with mud and dirty water dribbled down his face from his hair and whiskers. He tried to wipe the muck from his glasses, but only succeeded in smearing it around. He gave up with a sigh and took them off, exposing two mud-free patches around his eyes that kinda reminded Max of a racoon. She bit her lip hard to smother a giggle. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Alec’s lips twitch as he struggled to keep a straight face.

 

Logan blinked nearsightedly at the two transgenics. He suspected they were laughing at him, but without his glasses he couldn’t tell for certain. “You. And you,” he said sternly, pointing first at Alec and then at Max. “Honestly, sometimes I think Sketchy is less childish than the two of you. Combined. What were you thinking?”

 

Max glared daggers at Alec. She hated it when Logan lectured her. It made her feel about 3 feet tall and 5 years old. “It’s all Alec’s fault.”

 

“Hey! Who shoved who into Normal?” Alec demanded to know.

 

“Yeah, well, you deserved it.”

 

“Hah! So now you admit you pushed me.” Alec loomed over Max, a triumphant grin on his face. It wasn’t often he won an argument with Max and he intended to savour it.

 

“I don’t care who did what to whom, when, where, or how!” Logan shouted, annoyed that once again Alec had Max’s undivided attention. It was so unfair. He’d just got flattened to the pavement for Pete’s sake. Max ought to be fussing over him the way Asha was, not arguing with Alec. “You can’t go careening around like a loose cannonball,” he lectured. “I might’ve been seriously hurt.”

 

Asha’s head bobbed in agreement like it was on a string and God kept yanking it. “You might’ve broken a bone,” she said in her breathless, little girl’s voice.

 

Max and Alec stared at their shoes in their best imitation of abashed and contrite. Max dug at a crack in the pavement with the toe of her boot. “Sorry Logan,” they chorused. Max saw Alec cross his fingers behind his back as he said it. A giggle slipped out before she could stop it. She turned and smacked Alec hard on the arm. He grinned and shrugged, unrepentant.

 

Logan threw up his hands in exasperation. They were definitely laughing at him now. He shot Max a reproachful look. “Just get in the car.”

 

“Thanks a lot,” Max muttered under her breath to Alec. “I am sooo not giving you your present.”

 

“Hey! You can’t do that,” Alec protested.

 

“Yes I can. I haven’t given it to you yet, so it’s still mine. Which means I can do whatever I want with it.”

 

“Fine,” Alec said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Then you’re not getting yours either.”

 

“Fine, like I care,” Max said and tossed her hair.

 

“Good.” Alec moved toward the car, but Max slid between him and the door. She planted both hands on his chest and pushed him back a few steps.

 

“Un un. I’ve had just about enough of you for one day,” she said petulantly. Asha was already sitting shotgun next to Logan, leaving her and Alec to squeeze into the crowded backseat together among all the gifts Logan was helping them deliver to Terminal City. Ol’ Betsy was crammed floor to ceiling with colourful boxes, which meant she’d be practically sitting in Alec’s lap. She was so not in the mood for that right now.

 

“Maxie, that hurts.” Alec pouted and made puppy dog eyes at her.

 

Max rolled her eyes at his performance. ‘ _Honestly, no guy should have such a cute pout. How’s a girl supposed to compete?_ ’ “Don’t you have to go pick up our outfits for tomorrow?” she reminded him impatiently.

 

Alec grinned, a devilish twinkle in his eyes. “Sure thing, Max. Whatever you say.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and sauntered off whistling “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”

 

Max stared at Alec’s retreating back, an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. A suddenly cooperative, cheerful Alec did not bode well for her. The sound of Logan’s voice jerked her attention back to her surroundings.

 

“Max!” he called impatiently out the side window. “Eyes Only has a VERY important assignment for me this afternoon, so could you please get in? I don’t want to keep him waiting.”

 

Max rolled her eyes as she climbed into the backseat, a little creeped out by Logan’s tendency to refer to himself in the third person whenever he mentioned Eyes Only. Asha, of course, stared at him in adoration like he was the Second Coming.

 

Max watched Alec through the window as Logan slowly pulled out of the Jam Pony parking lot. Alec had joined CeCe and Biggs by the bike racks, and the three of them glanced in her direction and laughed. Max rolled down her window and stuck her head out, but she couldn’t hear what Alec was telling the other transgens over the sound of Logan droning on about his latest EO mission.

 

“Blah blah woof woof,” she muttered under her breath and slumped back in her seat.

 

“Oh man, that was the funniest thing I’ve seen in weeks!” Biggs said to Alec, grinning from ear to ear. “Mole’s gonna be furious he missed it.”

 

Alec chuckled. “Maybe we could arrange for a repeat performance. I think my technique could use a little work.”

 

“You could add a bit with a pie,” CeCe suggested.

 

“A pie, hun?” Alec chewed his thumb thoughtfully, his mind racing as he tried to come up with a scenario where he could get Logan in the face with a cream pie and not get beaten black and blue by Max. He shrugged. That was a problem for another day. Right now he had to pick up an outfit for Max to wear to the freaks’ Christmas party. He grinned in anticipation. She really ought to know better than to leave an important detail like that up to him. Particularly after shoving him at Normal. “C’mon,” he said to Biggs and CeCe. “Max needs us to pick up some supplies for tomorrow.”

 

 

xxXxx 

 

 

Christmas morning dawned bright and clear. There was still no snow, but at least it had stopped raining. The entire transgenic population of Terminal City gathered to celebrate in the warehouse that had been especially converted for the big party.

 

Joshua and Dix had spent the past week decking the halls. Strings of Christmas lights wrapped in shiny garlands snaked back and forth across the ceiling and around the support beams, making the cavernous room twinkle merrily. Balloons shaped like candy canes drifted through the air. Joshua had painted the walls to looks like the North Pole. On one side the Abominable Snowman danced with the Sugar Plum Fairy, while on the other hordes of little elves loaded Santa’s sleigh. In the far corner stood a life-sized Frosty the snowman that Dix had constructed out of styrofoam. Mole had drawn a barcode on the back of its neck and stuck a gun in its hand when Dix wasn’t looking, but no one seemed to mind too much.

 

A beautiful Christmas tree dominated the middle of the room, and there was a mountain of brightly wrapped presents piled under it. The little X8s huddled around the tree, thrilled to see their names written on the tags. None of them had ever received a present before. Every now and then one of them would reach out and touch the pretty paper before snatching their hand back with a guilty smile.

 

Meanwhile, at the back of the warehouse, Alec waited impatiently outside the office where Max was changing. He was anticipating a very vocal reaction to her costume. He glanced down at his own outfit. Somehow he’d been nominated to play jolly old St. Nicholas and hand out presents to all the little girls and boys. He smiled ruefully. He was actually enjoying this and damn if he didn’t make the goofy outfit look good, even if he did say so himself.

 

Suddenly Max flung open the office door and stormed out. She was dressed as a very immodest Mrs. Claus in a revealing red velvet miniskirt and matching fur-trimmed bustier.

 

Alec licked his lips as his gaze travelled slowly from the toes of her stiletto boots to the Santa cap perched jauntily on her head. Max was showing a lot of skin between her skirt hem and her boots, not to mention her bare arms and shoulders. Not only was it a sight guaranteed to please every male present, it had the added advantage of forcing Logan to keep his distance. Which meant Max would be free to hang out with someone much more handsome and deserving.

 

“ALEC!” Max yelled and stomped her foot.

 

Alec hastily arranged an innocent look on his face. “What? I think you look adorable.”

 

“Adorable?” she sputtered. “I look like a striptease version of Mrs. Claus! There’s barely enough fabric here to be legal.” The fact that she looked good in said outfit in no way mitigated Alec’s crime in making her dress like that in the first place. ‘ _Mental note._ _NEVER let a male pick out the costume. What the hell was I thinking?_ ’ Max glared at Alec through narrowed eyes, her fists planted on her hips.

 

“Hey, it was either that or the snowflake costume, and if you think that one’s skimpy…” He smiled at the memory of how much of the store mannequin had been visible through that particular outfit. He’d been sorely tempted by it, and Max didn’t even appreciate his restraint. ‘ _Women._ ’

 

Max cursed herself for letting Joshua talk her into playing dress-up for the party. Her one consolation had been thinking Alec would look just as silly as she would. Unfortunately, her hopes for having company in her misery were dashed as soon as she laid eyes on Alec. ‘ _Damn he looks good in red._ ’

 

“Don’t sulk, Max. ’Tis the season to be jolly, remember.”

 

Max stuck out her tongue, too grumpy to think of a witty comeback. Before Alec could respond Asha came skipping out of the adjacent office, dressed in an identical outfit to the one Max had on.

 

“Aren’t these just the cutest outfits?” she gushed. She linked her arm through Max’s. “Look at us. We look just like Betty and Veronica.”

 

“So I guess that makes me Archie,” Alec said as he draped his arms around the two girls. Max got the impression the arm around Asha’s shoulder was just an excuse for the one around hers. Or at least she hoped so. She was human enough to be flattered by the idea of TWO men hopelessly in love with her, and she didn’t want to share with the blonde.

 

“Nah, you’re really more like Reggie,” Asha said thoughtfully.

 

“Devilishly handsome, charming, drives a sports car… I think you might be right,” he said with a cocky grin.

 

Max rolled her eyes. “Arrogant, annoying, pain in the ass. Yeah, that sounds about right.”

 

Alec pouted. “Yeah, well, here comes Dilton with his award-winning science project.”

 

Logan was headed their way, accompanied by the ever-present whirring sound of his exoskeleton. He squinted at them as the fluorescent lighting reflected off his glasses. Both girls stifled a giggle and then reached over and smacked Alec hard, one on each shoulder.

 

“Ow,” he complained at the double assault.

 

“Alec,” Logan said irritably, “quit clowning around and get dressed. The kids are waiting.”

 

Alec, Max, and Asha all glanced down at Alec and then back at Logan with identical, quizzical looks on their faces.

 

“Uh Logan, I am dressed. See? Pants, jacket, boots, hat. All accounted for.”

 

Logan sighed. “Am I the only one who reads? The poem clearly states that St. Nick has a thick white beard and a belly that shakes like a bowl full of jelly. Both of which you’re currently lacking.”

 

Alec laid one hand on his perfect abs. “First of all, what am I supposed to do for a belly? Stick a pillow inside my shirt? That’s just silly. And two, the beard’s scratchy.”

 

“But it’s not historically accurate,” Logan protested.

 

“Logan, I’m sorry to break this to you, but Santa Clause isn’t real.”

 

“Yeah Logan, it’s fine,” Max chimed in. “They’ll never know the difference.”

 

Logan shook his head in dismay as the two transgenics brushed aside his concerns. “But it’s wrong,” he muttered under his breath. He appealed to the blonde. “Tell them Asha.”

 

Asha shrugged awkwardly, torn between wanting to support Logan in anything he said or did and agreeing that the details of Santa’s costume would hardly matter to a roomful of Manticore alums.

 

Suddenly everyone’s attention was diverted from Alec’s costume to Biggs’, as the dark-haired transgenic poked his head out of yet another office. Biggs was dressed as an elf in lurid green tights and a tunic that looked like it had been stolen off a medieval page.

 

Alec shook his head in disbelief at his friend’s outfit. “Man, I thought CeCe was just kidding about wearing the matching elf-costumes.”

 

Biggs sighed. “So did I, but after you left she insisted.” He looked down at himself in dismay. “I can’t believe she’s making me wear tights. Tights! I’m a trained killer for God’s sake!” He shook his head in disgust and glanced over at Alec. “The things we do for love, huh?”

 

“Hey, speak for yourself. You’re the one dressed like a fairy.”

 

“Oh, and what are you s’posed to be?”

 

“The big boss man behind it all.”

 

“Who just happens to live on a commune with a bunch of other men. I dunno, sounds like a fairy to me.”

 

“You’re forgetting about Mrs. Claus,” Alec said with a wink and a side-long glance at Max.

 

Biggs grinned in appreciation at the sight of Max’s skimpy costume. Then he spotted Asha. “Hey, no fair. How come you get two?”

 

“Cuz I’m that good,” Alec said with one of his trademark smiles.

 

“Biggs! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” CeCe said in exasperation. She hurried over, dressed in an identical costume to Biggs’, only she looked a lot less like the Green Giant than Biggs did. On her it was actually cute.

 

“C’mon already. We gotta round up the kiddies so the Clauses here can do their thing.” CeCe grabbed Biggs by the arm and started hauling him toward the big steel doors that led to the main part of the warehouse.

 

Biggs dragged his feet the whole way. “Please, please don’t make me go out there dressed like this!” he pleaded.

 

“Oh stop whining, ya big scaredy-cat.” CeCe tugged harder, and practically launched Biggs through the doors. Laughter greeted his less than dignified entrance.

 

Max chuckled evilly. “I’m definitely picking out the outfits next year,” she informed Alec.

 

He smirked at her. “You wanna see me naked, all you gotta do is ask.”

 

“That’s not what I said!”

 

“Yeah, but it’s what you meant.”

 

“As if.” Max slapped him on the shoulder with the back of her hand.

 

Alec chuckled and held out his arm for her to take. Max eyed it suspiciously, unused to such gallantry.

 

“Oh come on, Max. Don’t you want to be escorted by the most handsome man here and make all the other girls jealous?”

 

Max grumbled under her breath about men and the size of their egos, but she linked her arms in his. Asha hurried over and took his other arm. Alec glanced at the two girls at his side, one blond, one brunette, and both wearing equally revealing outfits. ‘ _Well, the guys will be jealous at least,_ ’ he thought with a silent laugh. He grinned and led his two pretty assistants to the party. Logan trailed along behind, forgotten again.

 

Alec paused dramatically on the threshold and greeted the room with a hearty, “Ho Ho Ho!”

 

“Santa Alec’s here!” shouted a little X8 girl excitedly. She and her age-mates surrounded Alec, Max and Asha, giggling and jostling one another impatiently.

 

“Are those presents really for us?” asked one little boy, his eyes wide.

 

“Yep,” Alec replied. “So I hope you’ve all been good.” The X8s nodded solemnly.

 

Alec grinned and made his way to the chair by the Christmas tree that Joshua had painted to look like a throne. CeCe and Biggs lined everyone up by age, starting with the youngest X8s. Max and Asha fetched the presents from under the tree and passed them to Alec to hand out. He made a big production of calling out the name on the tag.

 

The X8s ripped off the wrapping paper and squealed in excitement at their gifts like any Ordinary 6-year-olds. Soon they were racing around the room, playing with the first toys they’d ever had. The older Xs were almost as excited by their gifts.

 

There was a present under the Christmas tree for every X and freak in Terminal City, so it took quite a while to hand them all out. Eventually they were down to the final two presents. Alec grinned when Max showed him the names on the tags.

 

“Mole! Hey Mole!” he called out.

 

“What?” Mole yelled back from the far end of the room.

 

“Get over here already,” Alec shouted.

 

Mole pushed his way through the crowd, chomping on his ever-present cigar. “Whaddaya want?” he asked impatiently.

 

Alec held out a box which was appropriately wrapped in shiny green paper.

 

Mole stared at in surprise. “That’s for me?”

 

“Yep. Says so right here on the tag.” Max pointed to the tag which did indeed say MOLE in big block letters. Mole leaned over to look at it, his hands clasped behind his back.

 

Alec grinned at the look on Mole’s face. “You didn’t think we’d forget you, did ya? Mole, you’re a 6 foot tall lizard. I don’t think it’s possible to overlook you.”

 

Mole grabbed the present and ripped off the paper to reveal a box of genuine, hand-rolled Cuban cigars. He glanced from the cigars to Max and Alec and back to the cigars, and then half-turned away and scrubbed at his eyes with the back of one scaly fist.

 

“Mole, are you crying?” Max asked.

 

“No!” he said indignantly. Lizards don’t cry. I got something in my eye, that’s all.”

 

“Must’ve been a pretty big something,” Alec said and pointed at Mole’s face, “cuz now your other eye’s doing it.”

 

Mole glared at him. “Shuddup,” he growled and then stomped away clutching his box of cigars close to his chest.

 

Max hefted the last package. “Finally. One more and then we can get out of these stupid outfits.” Not only was she dressed like an adolescent male’s fantasy, but a cold draft kept blowing up the back of her ridiculously short skirt.

 

“Aw, but what’s the rush? You’re the centre of attention. Particularly when you bend over.” Alec ducked as Max’s fist came flying at his head. He grinned, not at all fazed by the if-looks-could-kill-you’d-be-flayed-alive glare in Max’s eyes. It’s amazing what you can get used to.

 

Max was distracted from the never-ending task of chastising the aptly-named Alec by the sight of Joshua bounding through the crowd toward them. He wore a pair of plastic brown antlers on his head, and he’d dabbed a splotch of red paint on the end of his nose. “Ho ho ho ho ho ho,” he barked excitedly.

 

“Hey big fella, this is for you.” Max handed him a flat, oblong box wrapped in bright red paper.

 

Joshua took it eagerly in both hands and held it up to his nose. He sniffed at it in true canine fashion, and his eyes lit up when he recognized the scent. “New paints!” he announced happily, his mouth hanging open in a doggie grin.

 

“There’s a lot of bare, ugly walls around here just begging for you to do your thing,” Alec said.

 

Max smiled at the look of pure joy on Joshua’s face. She stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek. “Merry Christmas.”

 

Joshua wrapped his arms around her. “Thank you, little fella.” He reached out and grabbed Alec with one meaty hand, lifted him bodily out of the chair, and pulled him into the hug too. “Thank you, medium fella.”

 

Max felt a hand connect with her ass. ‘ _Ew_ _._ _Please let that be Alec._ ’

 

The two X5s were helpless as Joshua crushed them in a big bear hug. Just as their ribs threatened to crack under the pressure, Joshua released them. “Joshua gotta go make hot chocolaty treats now,” he said and then ambled off.

 

Alec staggered back and flopped down into the chair, rubbing his sore ribs with the heel of his hand. Max didn’t bother to yell at Alec for copping a feel. From the look on his face, he hadn’t got much joy out of it.

 

She glanced over at Logan. Despite how crowded the room was, there was a small island of space surrounding the hacker. Naturally Asha stood nearby. She was hanging on to his every word. Max didn’t need her enhanced hearing to know he was going on and on about his latest attempt to expose yet another corrupt politician/crime boss. It was all he ever talked about, which made him more than a tad predictable.

 

Max wondered for the fifteenth time how these two humans had ended up at the freaks’ Christmas party. OC wasn’t even there, and the transgenics actually liked her.

 

‘ _Logan_ _’s here because he has no life. No, wait! That’s not what I meant! He’s here because he loves me. Yeah. That’s it. But Asha?’_  Max shrugged mentally. ‘ _Who knows? Maybe she’s hoping to catch Logan underneath the mistletoe._ ’

 

Max shuddered involuntarily at the thought of those whiskers scraping across her delicate skin. She flushed guiltily and looked around for a distraction from her traitorous thoughts. Her gaze fell on Alec, looking sleek and gorgeous and yummy in red.

 

He glanced up and smirked at the inviting, admiring look on her face. “Hey Max, wanna sit on Santa’s lap?” he asked, patting his thigh.

 

For a moment she was sorely tempted to climb onto his lap and run her fingers through his hair. ‘ _Stop it! Bad Max!_ ’ she chided herself. She glared at him and stalked off in a huff.

 

Alec shrugged, confused by the conflicting messages Max had just sent out. Sometimes he’d swear Max had an alter ego that actually liked him. Unfortunately, bitchy-Max was in control and never let fun-Max come out to play.

 

Suddenly a horde of X8s charged into the hall. “Dix made it snow!” they shouted, pointing outside.

 

The room fell silent as the crowd turned to look at the kids. A few glanced down at their mugs of eggnog, wondering if it had been spiked with something stronger than just rum.

 

The X8s hopped up and down impatiently. “He did! He made it snow!”

 

There was a collective shrug and then everyone trooped outside to see Dix’s newly-acquired godlike powers for themselves. Once outside they gaped in open-mouthed astonishment. Dix had indeed made it snow. He’d found a pre-Pulse snow making machine from who knows where, and now a thick blanket of the stuff carpeted the parking lot. It glistened in the sunlight.

 

Dix stood proudly next to his machine. “I was dreaming of a white Christmas,” he said with a broad smile. He patted the control panel lovingly.

 

Alec leaned over and scooped up a handful of the stuff. It was cold and wet and close enough to the real thing. He squished it into a loose snowball and glanced sideways at Max. His lips curved into a cheeky grin.

 

“Don’t you dare,” she warned, her hands on her hips.

 

“Honestly Max, you think I have no self-control, don’t you?” he said as he tossed the snowball in one hand.

 

“Let’s face it, pretty boy. You’re practically the poster child for ADHD.” She held up her hand and ticked her points off one by one on her fingers. “You can’t sit still, you’re constantly talking, you’ve got the attention span of a chipmunk, and I’ve never once seen you resist temptation. So excuse me if I don’t trust you with that snowball as far as I can throw you.”

 

“Maxie, that hurts. That really does.” He pouted and laid one hand over his wounded heart. He cocked his arm and aimed for the fence at the back of the lot, and then spun and tossed it straight at Max.

 

Caught off guard by Alec’s deceptively innocent and hurt expression, Max didn’t react fast enough. The snowball hit her smack in the middle of her face and splattered on impact, sending loose snow dribbling down her neck to her chest.

 

“Whoops.” He chuckled evilly.

 

“ALEC!” she sputtered and tried to wipe the snow off before it disappeared down the front of her top.

 

“Let me guess, you’re gonna kick my ass.”

 

Max growled under her breath and launched herself at Alec. He took off running with Max hard at his heels. He skidded on the snow trying to change directions too fast, lost his footing, and stumbled to one knee. Max tackled him from behind, sending his Santa hat flying as she knocked him face first into the snow.

 

He rolled onto his back and grabbed her ankle, and pulled her feet out from under her. She landed on her ass in a snow bank. He chortled at the look of shock on her face as her bare legs came into contact with the cold, wet snow. He dived on top of her before she could scramble to her feet, and pinned her to the ground. He grinned down at her as she struggled to dislodge his weight.

 

She stuck her tongue out at him and retaliated by scooping up fistfuls of loose snow and rubbing them into his face and hair. He threw himself to one side and she rolled with him, shrieking with laughter as they tumbled through the snow.

 

With a whoop and a holler the other transgenics, from the tallest to the smallest, joined in the fun. Soon the air was filled with flying snow and bodies as a free-for-all broke out.

 

Only Logan and Mole were left watching from the sidelines. Mole puffed on one of his new cigars, watching the brawl with an amused look on his scaly face. He sat out because snow was the heat-loving lizard’s least favourite substance. Logan sat out because he was much too conscious of his dignity.

 

“Hey,” Joshua hollered from the door, “hot chocolaty treats ready now. With marshy-mellows.”

 

The fighting stopped as everyone spontaneously declared a truce and cheered Joshua.

 

Alec helped Max to her feet. Both of them were covered in snow from head to toe. Their cheeks were flushed bright red and their eyes sparkled merrily. They scrambled through the snow banks and over prone Xs making snow angels to where Logan and Mole were waiting.

 

Alec chuckled when he spotted the sprig of mistletoe handing in the doorway above Mole and Logan’s heads. He elbowed Max in the ribs. “That’s a candid camera moment in the making if ever I saw one.”

 

Max burst out laughing. “Ew!”

 

Mole followed their gaze up and spotted the mistletoe. “So what’s the stupid weed for?”

 

“Um, you’re supposed to, uh…” Alec trailed off, not really sure he should let Mole in on the joke. The lizard had an unpredictable temper, and an even quirkier sense of humour.

 

“It’s a Christmas tradition for anyone caught standing under a sprig of mistletoe to receive a kiss as a sign of peace, goodwill, and love,” Logan said pedantically. “This ancient custom is derived from the belief that mistletoe has the power to bestow fertility. It was first associated with the festival of Saturnalia and later with primitive marriage rites. In Scandinavia, mistletoe was considered a plant of peace, under which enemies could declare a truce or warring spouses kiss and make-up. In medieval Europe, kissing a woman under the mistletoe was considered a proposal of marriage, and-”

 

“So basically you’re s’posed to kiss whoever’s under the mistletoe?” Mole shrugged. “Who am I to argue with tradition?” He took his cigar from his mouth, grabbed Logan’s face with both hands, and planted a big, wet kiss on Logan’s mouth.

 

Alex and Max stared in stupefied horror, the image of Mole and Logan locked in a passionate embrace seared into their brains.

 

Logan’s arms flailed as he struggled weakly in the lizard-guy’s grasp. After what seemed like an eternity, Mole released Logan. “Heh heh heh.”

 

Logan staggered backwards, too shocked to speak. He coughed and wheezed, sending out small puffs of blue smoke. Mole slapped him on the back, causing even more smoke to ooze out of his mouth. “Meerrrry Christmas.”

 

 


End file.
